Category Archives: Wine reviews

Peaks of Otter ‘Fruit of the Farm’ wine

28 Thursday Mar 2013

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Disclaimer- this was a gift.  I would never venture this far out of my regular tastings.

The label claims it is a tomato and apple wine, made in Virginia with no alcohol content info.  In the glass, very dark yellow, reminiscent of well-oaked chardonnay or a Sauternes.  On the nose, a very distinct tomato and vegetal note are intriguing to me.  I’m also getting a very floral note on the back side of the smell.  On the initial palate……hmmmma – a certain unctuosness that gives up some slightly unbalanced flavors of tomato and apple, yet somewhat green and underripe.  There is no acidity and certainly no sign of tannin.

Intriguing, this wine has managed to grow on me.  I opened it as a cooking wine and poured myself a glass.  I find myself delving deeper into itIMG_1834s make-up and trying to figure out its backbone.  I would certainly never buy this as a serious wine, but as a gift, why not?  Moxie even liked it.  I can’t rate it or give you my star rating because it is such an oddball, but I can say it has certainly expanded my palate and made me appreciate the fringes of wine making, like my old grand father did in his day.

Bodegas Valduero Gran Reserva 2001

18 Monday Mar 2013

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Woops, and I mean a big-time woops.  I picked this bottle out of my ‘daily drinkers’ rack and porked it with the almighty Rabbit Corkscrew before I realized I had just bludgeoned open a rather expensive and mature bottle of wine on a Monday-afterballet-rushhome-cookdinner-kidshomework night (whew).  Once the realization sank in, I knew I had to make the most of it and to enjoy this pricey gem for what it turned out to be, rather than what it was supposed to be.

I was saved, by the Moroccans.

Earlier today I realized that I had a busy evening playing chauffeur to the kids and needed to prepare for a mad dash to the kitchen after ballet to get dinner on the table.  I bought some Lamb at the market, dressed it up with Apricots, Dates, Cinnamon, Cumin and garnished the whole lot with a sprig of Rosemary from the garden- all in my new favorite cooking utensil:   The Moroccan Tagine.

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Back to the wine- a stunning purple color so rich.  On the nose, complex blueberry and spices kept me intrigued for a while.  The palate was unmistakeable blueberry and plums meet oak.  Stunning tannins are in full force, balanced by a gentle acidity.  This is a serious wine, yet not reminiscent of typical Tempranillo.  And then came the meal.  This wine just took off like a scalded cat when I took my first sip after eating some Lamb.  The spices of the meat seemed to exponentially magnify this wine’s allure.  The flavors sharpened up, the tannins melded and the whole package came together.  I don’t recall the last wine that changed so much when food was introduced.  I am really dumbfounded.

This wine is awesome.  It exhibits youthfulness and vibrancy at 12 years of age, combines balance with elegance, shows structure like I have only seen in a few wines, and pops like a firecracker when added to ‘spice laden’ dishes.  I would imagine 92 points are due.  For me, at $85+ per bottle, I must defer to 4 points.  The price doesn’t justify the taste for my particular palate.  I love Tempranillo’s, but want that specific flavor profile.  This is a great wine, just not my absolute favorite.  That’s what makes this blog fun.  I can guess at what a pro would rate wines at, but get to add my star rating based on price/quality/flavor and my own personal preferences.  Would I buy this wine again?  No, but I do have another bottle or two in the cellar from the original purchase.

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Marques de Riscal Reserva 2006

12 Tuesday Mar 2013

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An old favorite to which I have a connection to via some Spanish friends. I have been drinking this wine for many years. The nose is textbook Reserva from Rioja, the Tempranillo jumping out at you. On the first taste I was taken back a bit by the thinness of the wine, but soon settled into enjoying the brooding dark berry meets tar flavors. I know it sounds weird, tar, but it really is a descriptor that works with aged, oaked Rioja. Good oak integration and some earthiness round out the profile.
In the glass , the wine actually looks a little thinner than normal, the ‘legs’ giving tale to the 14% dosage I am about to feel. There’s is a slight off-balance to this thing, I can only hope it will sort itself out after a few years in cellar. The tannins are impressive, if somewhat muted right now. The nagging alcohol is what is throwing me, if that were sorted out this thing would cruise. I might be a bit harsh here, but I think the thinness and off-balance cost this wine big in points and I have to go with 86. For $20 a bottle, it slips into 3 star territory for me. It’s a shame really, this wine has a good pedigree and I have never had a disappointing bottle. Perhaps I shall re-taste it in the near future.

Marennon Classique 2011

11 Monday Mar 2013

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From the inflight cellars of United Airlines comes this Mediteranee blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre. It seems to be taking over from the Fox Grove I wrote about recently. I like this wine. It is simple, straightforward, easy-to-drink and surely to be a crowd pleaser. Keeping in kind it’s pedigree, it offers very primal red fruits on the nose and palate. Very smooth with no complexity or tannic roughness, this wine will be an easy party wine for the next 2 years. I can’t say much more because that’s all folks. It really is just a tasty basic wine. 3 points for its price to delicious factor but a solid 85 points technically speaking.

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Chevalier de Lascombes 2007

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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This is the ‘second wine’ of a ‘Second Growth Bordeaux’.  I’ll save you some time if you are unfamiliar with these terms.  In 1855, the Bordeaux wine region classified the best (read expensive) wines into 5 top levels, or Growths.  The First being the top notch wines, all the way down to the 5th.  There are 14 Chateau in the Second Growth tier.  When the winery makes its wine in barrel, sometimes the quality is not as high as required for the main wine.  This could be because of new vines, poor weather or whatever reason they deem.  These slightly inferior wines are then blended into the ‘second wines’ and sold at a considerable discount from the main wine.  The principle wine from a Bordeaux Classed Growth winery usually has a long aging potential, and as a consequence, it is not drinkable or mature for many years.  I find that most Growths are unapproachable for the first 10 years of their cellaring.  The ‘second’ wines are not made in the same method and mature much earlier. Whilst they don’t have the same aging capacity, they are drinkable much sooner.

I digress….  This wine is delicious.  Dark purple in the glass, it offers up some spiciness in addition to the black berry and earth I got on the palate.  Very smooth tannins are on point and the balance is great.  The finish is long on this one, and it leaves you puckered up for more.  2007 was not the greatest vintage, but the pedigree of this wine is evident.  It may be the ‘second’ fiddle but it hits all the right notes for a Margaux wine.  I would imagine 90 points from a pro, I’m giving it 4 stars.  Delicious on its own, it would pair well with Duck, Beef stew or Braised Lamb.

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San Elias Chardonnay 2010

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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Chardonnay and Thai food, it works well!  This particular bottle was the only white available at our local Thai joint, so we thought we would give it a try after filling up on Singha beer and curry.  Golden yellow in the glass, the nose was buttery with some hints of lemon.  Very oaky, but not gross, it hit the right notes with me.  The lemon I sensed earlier was there on the palate, but slightly sweeter.  Strange to be describing it this way, but it lacked the acidity normally found in whites, yet it didn’t bother me.  For once I was happy with an inexpensive, over-oaked chardonnay that I simply enjoyed.  It was very easy to drink, and had been chilled to the right temperature.  Albeit not a great wine, I think it deserves 85 points, but for me it was a 4 star wine.  I would most definitely buy this again and drink it with any spicy dishes, or as an aperitif.  Planning a party this summer, buy this one by the case.

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Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Cabernet 2010

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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I guess yesterday was the Aussie Cabernet tasting day for me.  This was the third wine in the lineup and I was suffering from ‘palate fatigue’ if you know what I mean!  Very basic and reasonably priced everyday wine from this mass-producer.  Nothing special, yet nothing untoward.  Balanced, somewhat fresh and definitely fruity.  I imagine this wine was made for pop-n-pour as it has very little long-term structure.  It will please at parties and is also an everyday dinner wine.  I won’t break the bank, but offers decent plum, blueberry and oak. The Shiraz is not overly jammy, the Cabernet adding some spice. 3 stars and 85 points from me.

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Penfolds “Rawson’s Retreat” Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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If you just read my previous post, you will know that I bought this locally at a promotion price of $24 for three bottles, regularly $13 per.  With that in mind, this is actually a much better wine than the 2011 Shiraz blend.  Staying with the single varietal, I found better fruit, a more precise nose and much better tannins.  Albeit younger, this wine was more developed and had a better structure.  Red berries and vanilla were the predominant flavors, a good acidity and firm tannins rounded out the palate.  We drank this after lunch, but it would be good with pasta, perhaps some grilled steak.  Not overly exciting , but for the special price a repeat buy.  3 stars and 86 points.

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Penfolds “Rawson’s Retreat” Shiraz Cabernet 2011

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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The local wine shop here is running a special on the Rawson’s Retreat series, so I picked up two of the offerings to try.  Not impressed.  Very basic in architecture, with straightforward red fruits on the nose and palate.  Little tannin and no complexity.  However, it does drink smoothly and will get big kudos from most people because it is built to satisfy the elementary drinker.  I wouldn’t call it a bad wine, plonk is more appropriate.  Serve with the most basic of dishes or alone.  The blend did mellow out the Cabernet Sauvignon somewhat, and I was surprised that the Shiraz was not the typical jam from downunda. I have to say I would probably buy it again if the promotion pricing is in effect, but at $13- a pass.  3 stars since it was $24 for three bottles, but only 84 points.

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Domaine Fond Croze Cuvée Confidence 2009

28 Thursday Feb 2013

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From the initial sniff I knew I was going to love this wine. Primal red fruit and a floral component teased my senses. On the first sip, red berries and some blackberry hints mixed it up nicely with some pretty decent tannins. Very puckering, this wine begs to be drunk. Good balance, just a bit basic in complexity. I had a glance at the back label and noticed that this wine is predominantly Grenache (love it), hence the florality and smoothness. The Syrah is giving it some edge. I like this wine, especially for its price. 4 stars, and I reckon 89 points.

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